Departure and Arrival in Chamonix
Montreal, Thursday July 17, 5:00 p.m. My workday has just ended. I close my laptop with a rising excitement. Vacation time. This summer, I am heading back to Europe, my favourite destination for the past four years.
On the agenda, I will start with the Haute Route, a 212 kilometre trail beginning in Chamonix and ending in Zermatt. I will be hiking it with my partner, who will be doing his very first multi day hike. After that, I will slowly make my way to Italy to meet my friend Alex and hike the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites.
Mountains and life in nature have been deeply missed over the past few months, and it is with great joy that I begin this new adventure.
After a night flight, with a solid 120 minutes of sleep. At this point, I prefer to call it a very long nap, it sounds more optimistic. I land in Lyon. It feels strange. Less than a year earlier, I had landed in the same place to head toward the start of the HexaTrek.
This time, I take a bus to Chamonix. As we approach Chamonix, I see the large white mountains rising on the horizon. I cannot help but smile. I am back in my element.
Tonight, there is no time to rest. I am meeting two very dear friends, Leila and Hugo, whom I met on the HexaTrek last year. The friendships formed on long distance trails are incredible and so precious.
Since Erik arrived in Geneva on a different flight. You can laugh at me if you want, I prefer Airbus over Boeing. Leila and Erik drive to Chamonix, our meeting point. It is a great pleasure to see Leila again and to welcome Erik on his very first visit to Chamonix. Leila is an incredible person, immensely generous, and it is always a joy to spend time with her.
Ever since my Swedish friend introduced me to the restaurant Cool Cats, it has become a must every time I pass through Chamonix. We enjoy truffle and parmesan fries, followed by a gigantic hot dog.
After dinner, it is time to meet Hugo for an apéro. Yes yes, I know, apéro is usually before dinner. At his friend’s place, who owns a camper van business. It is a wonderful reunion. I am so happy to see Hugo. We shared almost a full month of trail and adventures together on the HexaTrek. At first, he was supposed to hike a few days with us, but after breaking a rib, it is unfortunately impossible. Apparently, according to him, I am not supposed to make him laugh too much. Total failure on my part. Sorry about your ribs, Hugo.
We spend a lovely evening, but since we start hiking tomorrow and have barely slept in the past 24 hours, we have to call it a night.
go’s friend lets us pitch our tent on his land.
A note for readers. When you buy a new tent, make sure to
- Watch an instructional video beforehand, especially if it is a Durston tent.
- Do not set it up for the first time in complete darkness.
- Do not pitch a tent next to a cat who has decided it is a giant mouse. Fortunately, no damage to the fabric was found.
With all three conditions combined, setting up this famous tent takes us 45 minutes.
Around 11:00 p.m., Erik and I can finally close our eyes and drift into sleep.
Day 1: Here We Go
At 6:00 a.m., the alarm goes off. Today’s plan is 15 kilometres, from Argentière to Trient, via the Col de la Balme. Since for the next two days the trail overlaps with the Tour du Mont Blanc, we expect to meet many hikers.
The weather forecast for the coming week looks complicated. The Alps have experienced extreme heat over the past two weeks, and that trend is about to reverse. First, thunderstorms, then a sharp drop in temperatures. Great. First day, and already lightning warnings. As you already know, I loooooove lightning. But we will deal with it. It is all part of the adventure.
Erik, who has never been in the Alps, is amazed by the landscapes and the large snow covered massifs. I am pleasantly surprised. For a first hike with such a heavy pack, he is doing extremely well. I am almost walking at my usual pace.
Just before reaching the Col de la Balme refuge, we feel the weather change quite drastically. The clouds thicken and the wind starts to pick up. We arrive just before the rain.
After a good meal, and following the advice of the refuge staff, we decide to continue under heavy rain. According to them, the weather will worsen as the day goes on, and it is better to keep moving before the storm arrives.
So we set off again, under icy rain and strong gusts of wind. Quite an initiation for Erik. Fortunately, the rain eases halfway down the descent, and we peacefully reach the Camping de la Peuty near Trient.
The good weather returns in the late afternoon and we enjoy beautiful golden light. Coming back to Camping de la Peuty brings back many memories of the Tour du Mont Blanc. For many hikers, the TMB is their first trek, and you can feel it in the festive atmosphere. At 27 years old, I suddenly feel a bit old seeing so many people at the
I congratulate Erik on his first day of hiking. Tomorrow, we will tackle the famous Fenêtre d’Arpette, known for its physical difficulty. We will have to wake up early to cross the pass before the storm. Tick tock. Alarm set for 5:00 a.m. Good night.